Details of Shell gas deal emerge

Flares burn off natural gas associated with crude oil production at the Zubair field in Basra. (STAFF/Iraq Oil Report)

Iraqi official confirms plans for LNG export, but promises to meet domestic power demands before sending natural gas abroad.

  • Vice President of Malaysia's Petronas, Datuk Abdullah Karim (L) initials a contract as Peter Voser, CEO of Shell, Mounir Bouaziz, Shell Upstream vice president for Middle East and Africa, and Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani (R) look on, following the signing of a contract for the Majnoon field in southern Iraq on January 17, 2010, in Baghdad. (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)

    Shell gas deal sees movement, not finality

    Iraq's cabinet gave an initial authorization to the natural gas joint venture being negotiated between the Oil Ministry, Royal Dutch Shell and Mitsubishi, but – contrary to some media reports – a final contract is far from certain.

  • Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani (center) led a delegation of oil officials in promoting four new refineries to foreign investors at an international oil conference in Baghdad. (STAFF/Iraq Oil Report)

    Iraq offers investors shot at new refineries

    Iraqi oil leaders are offering four new projects to foreign investors with the ambition of more than doubling the country's refinery production.

Oil
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Former prison Bucca candidate for oil hub

Some of the 180 high security prisoners walk in the exercise pitch at Camp Bucca on Sept. 16, 2009, shortly before the prison closed. (ESSAM -AL-SUDANI/AFP/Getty Images)

Massive compound that once held 24,000 people could serve as logistics hub for companies when southern oil development takes off.

Security
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UPDATE: Northern pipeline hard hit by bomb attack and smugglers

Members of the Oil Police secure a burning oil pipeline near Kirkuk on July 3, 2006. Iraq's northern export conduit has continued to suffer from both sabotage and smuggling. (MARWAN IBRAHIM/AFP/Getty Images)

Despite ongoing efforts to improve security, Iraq's northern oil export pipeline still suffers from attacks and well organized smuggling operations.

Energy
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Shahristani given temporary power portfolio

Minister of Oil Hussain al-Shahristani (L) and then-Minister of Electricity Karim Waheed Hasan (R) at a news conference with then-U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman in Washington, DC on July 26, 2006. Shahristani became acting electricity minister last summer after Hasan was forced out, and last week when the electricity minister resigned amidst a scandal. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

Amid a heat wave of protests and politics, the resigning electricity minister’s portfolio will go to the oil minister, though electricity officials deny the hand-over will take place.

Business
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Former prison Bucca candidate for oil hub

Some of the 180 high security prisoners walk in the exercise pitch at Camp Bucca on Sept. 16, 2009, shortly before the prison closed. (ESSAM -AL-SUDANI/AFP/Getty Images)

Massive compound that once held 24,000 people could serve as logistics hub for companies when southern oil development takes off.

Interviews
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Zalmay Khalilzad's take on Iraq – Part 2

Zalmay Khalilzad speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on January 26, 2008. (MONIKA FLUECKIGER/World Economic Forum)

Former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq addresses the criticism he's received for attempting to enter Iraq's oil sector.